


Cinnamon and chocolate

by c_heesecak_e



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Birthday, Friendship, Gen, Happy, Let Ashe be happy!, OC - Ashe’s siblings, Post-Blue Lions Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Sibling Love, Spoilers for Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Spoilers for Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-10-14
Packaged: 2020-12-16 03:17:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21029381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c_heesecak_e/pseuds/c_heesecak_e
Summary: A look at Ashe’s birthdays over the years. Happy (early) birthday to the sweetest boy in FE!-My work for the Ashe Birthday Celebration Event hosted by the Viola Odorata zine!





	Cinnamon and chocolate

**Author's Note:**

> I kinda wish that we could see Ashe’s siblings in the game. I WANT TO SEE THE UBERT FAMILY IS!!

The earliest memory Ashe had of his birthday was his third. His family hadn’t been whole yet, with his little brother and sister still being in his mother’s belly, still due next year.

It was a little occasion, just him and his parents. They celebrated after work, once their restaurant had closed for the night. He remembers how excited he was, bouncing around from table to table, eagerly anticipating the day’s work to end.

He remembers most of it in blurs, only distinct details popping out to him. The taste of chocolate cake, the sugary cinnamon frosting—some of the regular patrons at the restaurant wishing him a happy birthday. 

Ashe’s sixth birthday was a bit more eventful. Throughout the day, he babysat his twin siblings, Aime and Alaric at home, while his parents were out working. 

He kept them occupied with markers and paper scraps—he may not know how to write, but he does know how to draw. He remembers the twins surprising him with a… rather abstract drawing of what they claimed was, “big bro protecting us from monsters!” 

It looked more like a gray blob with an angry face smacking bigger, more deformed blobs, with a gray line. 

But it’s the thought that counts.

When his parents got home, they brought a cinnamon cake from the nearby bakery. He remembers how his parents scolded the Alaric for taking too much cake for himself, but even then Ashe sneakily slipped some spoonfuls of his own share to his younger brother.

His ninth birthday was very different from his sixth and third. This time, it was just him and the twins, their parents having died two years ago. 

They didn’t really celebrate it, not like they ever had enough money to indulge in celebrations. Ashe spent the whole day in the markets of his hometown-working tirelessly and pickpocketing what money he didn’t have. 

He wasn’t expecting to come home to the aroma of cinnamon and a warm loaf of bread.

Aime and Alaric had gathered up the extra money Ashe gave them to buy a cake. Except they didn’t have enough money for it, and instead bought some cinnamon rolls to share. 

Ashe remembers how sad they looked, apologizing for how they couldn’t get him an actual cake. 

He also remembers crying as he hugged them both, promising that he’d find make sure to find a way to get them out of their predicament. 

He did find a way out. Lord Lonato adopted him and the twins, after he caught Ashe trying to steal from his estate. Ashe doesn’t think he’d ever been more grateful for someone before. Even now. 

It had been nearly a year since Lord Lonato took him and his siblings in. Ashe became quite close to Christophe and some of the other knights too, essentially becoming a younger brother to them. Safe to say, he and his little siblings were quite spoiled and babied...

For his first birthday with them, Ashe’s new family surprised him after dinner, when they brought out a two-tiered birthday cake for dessert. Cinnamon. His favorite. It was a far cry from the two pieces of cinnamon rolls he shared with the twins a few years back, something he thought was already a luxury.

Aime and Alaric worked with the chefs and maids to decorate the cake, as evidenced by the clumps of icing “flowers” and uneven squiggles of colorful frosting spelling out, “happy birthday big bro.”

The twins had many talents, but arts and crafts were definitely not one of them. 

Sir Edgar, the knight that taught him archery, gifted Ashe a rather expensive-looking training bow. He only found out recently from the Gaspard maids that Sir Edgar had gotten into a scuffle with one of the other knights over who would give Ashe the bow. 

Lord Lonato and Christophe gave him his own copy of The Shield of Athena, a story about a reluctant and aloof knight from a far off land… and his cheerful squire. 

Ashe wasn’t able to read perfectly yet, so he had Christophe read it to him. He was able to read it himself two years later though;

Once Christophe had been executed for allegedly taking part in the Tragedy of Duscur. 

He couldn’t believe it at first. Christophe? Who would read to him and the twins? Who patiently taught him how to fish? His caring brother?

Ashe remembers how Lord Lonato tried to put on a happy facade for his birthday, pretending that everything was alright, as to not let the boy down. Either way, no one was in the right mood for a celebration so soon after the unexpected loss. 

Ashe celebrated his last birthday with his father a few months before he departed for the officers academy. Lord Lonato had changed over the past years, not that Ashe had actually noticed. 

It still eats away at him, the thought that maybe, just maybe, if he had noticed and reached out, he could have prevented Lord Lonato’s rebellion. Prevented his death.

He promised his father that he’d work had to become an honorable knight, and to the then thirteen year old twins that he’d send frequent letters. They grow up so fast…

Ashe celebrated his next birthday surrounded by friends.

In the morning, the cat he fed leftovers regularly left him a little uh, gift? In the form of a dead rat. Not exactly the best present but it’s the thought that counts, right?

Ashe receives letters from home—his siblings, wishing him a happy birthday. He doesn’t receive any other letters from the knights in Gaspard.

His classmates in the Blue Lions wished him a happy birthday, even Felix. How they knew it was his birthday though, still remains a mystery… he never told anyone when his birthday was, not even the professor. Speaking of the professor;

After class, Professor Byleth invited him to tea. She wished him all the best over some mint tea, and gifted him a bag of exotic spices.

“For your cooking,” she told him, in her deadpan tone. 

Turns out, teatime was a distraction for another surprise. The rest of the Lions had roped the professor into a surprise party for Ashe, and had her bring him to the dining hall once they had finished preparing. 

How did he know about this? Well, Annette was easy enough to bribe with sugar cookies. 

Mercedes, Annette and Dedue baked the cake, while Sylvain, Felix (albeit reluctantly) and Ingrid decorated. His Highness was the one to get permission to use the dining hall for the afternoon, and made sure everything went smoothly. 

Ashe found himself drowning in gifts. A collection of knightly tales from Ingrid and Dimitri, a new bow from Felix, a violet flower crown from Annette, and some gardening supplies from Dedue.

Sylvain offered to ah, “help him hook up with girls,” which he politely declined. Mercedes had jokingly given him some sort of charm that was supposed to keep ghosts away. 

He doesn’t tell her that he still brings it to sleep with him… 

Best of all, was the chocolate cake his friends cooked up. Velvety and spiced with cinnamon frosting, it tasted so much like the cake his mother would bake. He remembers how shocked his friends were when he started crying. 

He wished that he could celebrate every year the same way, surrounded by friends. Maybe one day, he’d introduce them to his siblings too. 

That wasn’t possible amidst the chaos of war. 

For the next few years, Ashe celebrated his birthday with the knights of house Rowe. It wasn’t as jovial as when he was with his friends at the monastery—he supposed that war just does that to happy occasions— but over time, the knights became close comrades to him. Even if many of them had a habit of babying him sometimes...

Especially Lord Gwendal. The older knight had always thought of Ashe as a sensible squire with an admirable work ethic, though he had a tendency to treat him much younger than he actually was. 

He met Lord Gwendal’s daughter too, on his nineteenth birthday. He remembers how her father had issued him a strict warning to “not try anything funny.” 

It reminds Ashe about the time he and Alaric ganged up on a boy who started dating Aime. They just wanted to know if he would treat their sister right.

Well, there’s a reason why Aime is still single.

On his twentieth birthday, the knights of Rowe took him to the nearest tavern for a drink. “A rite of passage,” they called it. That was also when Ashe discovered that he had a surprisingly high alcohol tolerance, for a first-time drinker.

He remembers the last birthday he had with the knights of Rowe. His twenty-first. Lord Rowe had started to show signs that he was giving in to the Empire. Ashe stayed up that night, wondering how long he has until he had to leave house Rowe. Leave the knights that he befriended.

He tries not to think about how many of them he shot down at the battle of Ailell.

His next birthday was celebrated in Fhirdiad. It was much more joyous, as it had been about two months since Dimitri and Professor Byeth led and won the assault on Enbarr, ending Edelgard’s conquest once and for all.

With how busy all his friends were with their duties, he expected to celebrate with just his siblings, taking them out to eat in one of the quaint bakeries in the capital. 

Annette had recommended him try, “that one along the main road,” and warned him to make reservations beforehand, seeing how long the queues usually were. 

There weren’t any lines when he and the twins arrived.

Ashe should’ve seen it coming by then. ”It” being his friends gathering together at the bakery to surprise him, despite how busy they were.

Dimitri had even pulled the “King of Fodlan” card to rent out the whole place. 

“I normally dislike taking advantage of my title like this,” he said with a guilty smile, “but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for something as harmless as this.”

Professor, no, Archbishop Byelth found him an original copy of Loog and the Maiden of Wind, the same one he had let the thief get away with so many years ago. 

Ingrid and Sylvain sent letters, apologizing for how they couldn’t come and wishing him all the best. Sylvain made another offer to help set him up with a nice girl, which he,once again, declined.

Felix was there too, though he claimed that it was just an excuse for him to stay in Fhirdiad longer so he wouldn’t have to go back to Fraldarius lands. 

Ashe knew Felix well enough to tell that he’s just trying to act tough. Just like the knight in his book!

Annette and Mercedes were staying in Fhirdiad too at that time, and of course took the opportunity to finally try out the famed bakery they never had the patience to queue for. They made him a quilted blanket, decorated with intricate violet patterns. 

Dedue got him spices from Duscur, so he could try cooking up Duscur-style cooking on his own, or mix it up with the dishes his parents used to cook up. 

It was nice to finally reunite and celebrate with his old friends and family. He finally got to introduce the twins to people he used to write about all the time. Predictably, they seemed to get along pretty well with his friends, especially Dedue, though they were hesitant about approaching the Archbishop and the literal King of Fodlan. 

He also noticed how Aime’s eyes drifted to Felix every once in a while. He should probably ask her about it. 

Everyone bonded over pastries and the slices of chocolate cake. It was even glazed with cinnamon frosting. How delicious.

The real surprise came at the end of the party, just before everyone was about to leave. Dimitri offered to officially knight and appoint Ashe as the head of house Gaspard. 

Ashe remembers how he choked on his cake when he heard the announcement. 

He’s not sure if he ever had any future surprise blow that one out of the water yet. 

But who knows? He still has a lot of birthdays ahead of him, as the new head of Gaspard. 

(Ashe didn’t get anymore preposterous surprises after that, but he definitely was surprised when chocolate and cinnamon cake became a staple birthday cake in Gaspard)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
-  
Happy birthday to the best boy Ashe!  
-  
My Twitter: @chscak_e


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